Knife lubricating device



Jan. 11, 1938;

A.- H. AVERY 2,105,393

KliIFE LUBRI CATING DEVICE Filed April 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l HQ-G. I'LEFLUY' Jan. 11, 1938. H AVERY 2,105,393

KNIFE LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed April 9, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [2957 Q5] QV/ Q AQ 13 Patented Jan. 11, 1938 UlE STATES PATENT O'FFiCE KNIFE LUBRICATING DEVICE Application April 9, 1935, Serial No. 15,431

2 Claims.

In the manufacture of shoes, before applying the outer soles it is customary to fill the bottom cavity of the shoe defined by the inner sole and the inturned margin of the upper or the marginal lip of a welt shoewith a plastic material known as shoe filler. The depositing of the filler in the bottom cavity of the shoe and the spreading, leveling and evening of the filler in the shoe is commonly done in whole or in part manually by means of a spatula or spreading knife having a fiat steel blade somewhat similar to that of the putty knife. In order to facilitate the filling operation and prevent the knife from sticking to the filler and to keep the knife clean, it is desirable to lubricate the knife at frequent intervals with a lubricant, which may be a solvent of the binder of the filler material or any other lubricant appropriate to the kind of filler being used. The principal object of the present invention is to provide an efiicient, simple and inexpensive device by means of which the workman can conveniently apply a lubricant to the blade of the knife used by him in filling the bottoms of shoes.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, of a lubricating device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1 with the outer cover removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an alternative form of cover;

Figs. 4 and 5 are details in plan and side elevation, respectively, illustrating a modification;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a spatula or filling knife of the kind commonly used in filling shoes; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a modified form of base and its attachment to a fixed support.

The device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a receptacle or container ID for holding a quantity of fiuid lubricant I I. The top wall of the receptacle includes a cap I2 which is provided with a pair of spaced slots I3, I3. A wick I4 consisting of a strip of textile wick material or equivalent wick material is threaded through the slots I3, I3, so that the intermediate part of the Wick strip rests upon the top of the receptacle between the slots and the ends of the wick depend through the slots and are submerged in the liquid II Within the receptacle. By capillary attraction the intermediate part of the wick, which is exposed on top of the receptacle, is automatically supplied with liquid from within the receptacle through the submerged ends of the wick so that (Cl. 91-54A) 7 the exposed part of the wick is kept continuously in a wet condition.

The cap I2 is made with a threaded'skirt which is removably applied to a threaded neck I5 fixed to the top of the receptacle. Thus the cap I2 and 5 the wick may be temporarily removed together for the purpose of replenishing the supply of liquid II. An outer cover I5, having a threaded skirt which fits the thread on the skirt of cap I2, encloses the slots I3, I3, and the exposed length 10 of the wick and protects them when the device is not in use or when it is being transported from one place to another.

When the device is in use it is mounted on a fixed support and the outer cover I6 is removed 15 leaving the wet intermediate part of the wick exposed as shown in- Fig. 2.

During the operation of filling a shoe the work man uses a spatula or knife of the kind shown at S in Fig. 6 to apply the filler to the bottom of the shoe. By periodically wiping the blade of the knife on the wet exposed part of the wick, the blade is kept wet with the liquid solvent of the filler or other lubricant and the work of laying and spreading the filler is thereby greatly facilitated.

The receptacle I0 may be mounted on and permanently attached to a base, herein shown as a fiat plate H, which is removably attached to a fixed support I8 permanently fastened upon a bench or table I9. The fixed support l8, as herein shown, is in the form of a fiat bed plate. The base [1, on which the receptacle is mounted, is provided with a pair of diametrically, laterally extending lugs 22 provided with oppositely ex- 35 tending, open-ended slots 25 disposed approximately circumferentially with relation to the center of the base. The base I! is also provided on its under side with a central pivot boss 23 which projects downwardly into a socket 24 40 formed in the fixed supporting plate I8. Two screws 20 and 2| threaded through the slots 25 and into the fixed support serve to fasten the device removably upon the support. When the receptacle and its base H are placed in position on 45 the fixed support I8 with the boss 23 occupying the socket 24 and the screws 29 and 2| loose, the receptacle can be rotated on the vertical axis of the boss 23 so as to slide the lugs 22 into and out of position under the heads of the screws. When 50 the screws 20 and 2I are set up tight within the slots 25 the receptacle is rigidly locked in position on the bench I9 and can not be accidentally displaced through the application of the spreading knife to the wick or otherwise.

If desired, for the purpose of shipment or otherwise, the cover It, the cap 12 and the wick l4 may all be removed and replaced by a single substitute cap or cover 26 (Fig. 3) which is threaded directly on the neck [5 of the receptacle.

As a matter of additional convenience in shipping or storing the device, the lugs of the base by which the device is secured to the fixed support may be constructed as hinged wings 22 (Figs. 4 and 5) adapted to be folded up alongside the receptacle Ii]. When extended these folding lugs function the same as the fixed lugs 22.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the base on the bottom of the receptacle H] consists of an extension or base 2'! threaded and screwed into a threaded socket 28 formed in a supportingvfixture 29, which may be fastened to a table or bench 30.

I claim:

1. In a knife lubricating device having a receptacle for holding a fluid and means for wetting the surface of a filler-applying tool, means for firmly holding said receptacle in place while wetting the surface of said applying tool, said means including a central depending part integrally joined to the bottom of said receptacle, a support having a recess for receiving said depending part, and interengaging means providing a detachable connection capable of being disconnected by a rotary movement of the receptacle relative to the support.

2. In a knife lubricating device having a receptacle for holding a fluid and means for wetting the surface of a filler-applying tool, means for holding the receptacle comprising a base secured to the bottom wall of the receptacle, said base having a central boss on its bottom and laterally projecting lugs spaced radially of said boss, each of said lugs being provided with an open-ended slot disposed circumferentially with relation to the center of the boss, a fixed support having a socket to receive said boss, and fastening screws positioned in said slots for binding said base to the fixed support.

ALFRED H. AVERY. 

